Report on the Impact of Diet on Health

Report on the impact of diet on health

There are six main components of a balanced diet: carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. It is vital that all six are consumed regularly to maintain a healthy diet.

The carbohydrates supply energy for the body’s activities and are consumed from foods such as grains, cereals, bread, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, pulses, dairy products and sugars.

The fats are a vital source of energy for the body. The main dietary sources of fat include meat, fish, dairy products, oils and fats used for cooking (butter, margarine).

The protein is important for cell growth, repair and maintenance; foods of protein include meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds.

The vitamins are the main source in foods; few of them are obtained in different ways such as vitamin D is taken in by skin with the help of natural sunlight but too much can be very damaging and dangerous. Vitamins are present in small quantities in most of the foods that we eat.

The minerals have two types, fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are found mainly in fatty foods and animal products, such as vegetable oils, milk and dairy foods, eggs, liver, oily fish and butter, your body needs these vitamins every day to work properly, you don't need to eat foods containing them every day where as water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, so you need to have them more frequently. Water-soluble vitamins are found in a wide range of foods, including fruit, vegetables, potatoes, milk and dairy foods.

Also water plays a main part in every person’s diet as it accounts for approximately 80 percent of the human body. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth.

Newborn to Six months

Newborns will require breast milk when they are born and developing as it supplies a baby with the required amounts of nutrients, fluids and energy for up to about six months of age, breast milk is a better option to formula as it contains many protective vitamins that benefit the baby’s development.

Water loss from healthy baby can be easily replaced with breast milk or correctly prepared infant formula. However, all babies need extra water once solid foods are introduced.

Food for babies – Six to 12 months of age

Solids should be introduced around six months of age to meet the baby’s growing nutritional and developmental needs, breastfeeding should continue for as long as the mother and child wish.

Different societies have their own traditions about which food is more appropriate to start feeding a baby with.

To maintain nutrients the baby’s body stores foods that are rich in iron and zinc, such as iron-enriched infant cereals, pureed meats